


Never Enough

by breadqueen95



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, One Shot, Reader-Insert, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:15:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29191404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breadqueen95/pseuds/breadqueen95
Summary: Remus and Y/N begin a loving and committed relationship while still at Hogwarts, but the trials of the war and Remus' own self doubt create issues as they grow into adulthood. Based on "Never Enough" from The Greatest Showman.
Relationships: Remus Lupin/Reader
Kudos: 17





	Never Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to @breadqueen95 on Tumblr for @iliveiloveiwrite's 3.5k event. Still proud of you, Millie!
> 
> Aggressive canon divergence because I wanted my babies to have the ending they deserve.

**_I’m trying to hold my breath_ **

**_Let it stay this way_ **

**_Can’t let this moment end_ **

Much like the normal school week at Hogwarts, the library was dead quiet.

Unlike the rest of the week, it was also mostly empty. The only thing that kept it from being completely vacant were the two figures bent over a book at a corner table, reading by the light of the lamp they had lit next to them.

“No, look Remus! It’s right there, I’m right and you know it,” you exclaimed, fervently jabbing your finger into the book, pointing out the passage you felt held your evidence.

“Y/n you can’t be serious! That passage can only be used as evidence subjectively, it doesn’t prove anything,” Remus scoffed, looking up at you. You continued to scan the pages, trying to find something that would further prove your point. You didn’t notice, but Remus felt his breath catch as he looked at you. The low light made you like…ethereal, almost. He couldn’t look away.

“There! Right there! That _proves_ Penelope is far more interested in John,” you glanced up to find Remus looking at you already, and you had to fight to keep the blush from giving you away. Hard as you tried to stay focused on your discussion, the softness in those green eyes of his had you spinning love stories of your own.

“Please, I know for sure that David is a better choice for Penelope, he would give her stability and security,” Remus interjected, amusement joining the softness already present in his features.

Many of your friends would assume the heated debates you and your best friend had were about scholarly subjects, especially since you both were so adept at studying and academics. In reality, you talked fiction. The first thing you had bonded over was your love of books and reading and had been exchanging your favorite titles ever since. At the current moment, Remus had finally given into reading a romance novel you loved, and he loved it too as it turns out.

“Just wait until you get to chapter 16, then you’ll see exactly what I mean,” you quipped, leaning back in your chair.

“Oh? And what exactly happens in chapter 16?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he continued to look at you.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” you smirked, “but, my dear Remus, it has everything to do with fate and passion, and absolutely _nothing_ with something as boring as stability. I mean, come on! What’s romantic about _stability_?!” You rolled your eyes for emphasis.

Remus smiled then, and it was a true smile, not one of his usual sarcastic grins. He looked down, peering at what chapter he was currently on.

“Well, I guess I better read on to find out. I’m on chapter 15, so it’ll be soon enough,” he said, softer this time. He looked down and fell right back into the story. You smiled at him, adoring the way he threw himself into his books. It was so, just, _Remus_ , and you loved it. You looked back down at your own book and began reading again as well.

A comfortable silence filled the air. Darkness continued to fall outside, but you and Remus read on, happy with your routine and time together. Every now and then one of you would look up at the other, smile happily, and then return to your respective novels. Of course, neither would notice. That would be too easy.

During one of your glances, you noticed Remus had stopped reading and his brow was furrowed. He only did that when he was thinking particularly hard about something he couldn’t figure out, and it worried you. You knew Penelope’s story wasn’t _that_ troublesome.

“Rem? You okay?” You asked, softly placing your hand on his to get his attention. He jerked up at the gentle touch but didn’t take his hand away. You kept yours there, loving his warmth under yours. Unbeknownst to you, he felt the exact same way about your hand.

“What? Oh…sorry, just thinking I guess,” he murmured, brow still wrinkled in thought.

“About what? You can tell me, you know.”

“I know, it’s just…is that what love is to you? Passion?” He asked, still avoiding your gaze.

You sat still a moment, trying to process what he had asked. Did he just ask about…love? Yeah, guess he did. You seriously considered his question, and then answered as honestly as you could.

“Well, yeah,” you began, “I guess that’s part of it, but love is about more than just attraction and chemistry,” you paused, trying to sus out the best way to explain it without completely confessing your feelings for him.

You had been crazy about Remus since your 6th year. You hadn’t even been able to name your feelings at first. All you knew was that you wanted to be near him all the time, and that that closeness made you blissfully happy. It hadn’t hit you until you had seen a pretty Ravenclaw girl flirting with him in class one day, and you became painfully jealous.

“What else, then?” He pressed, trying to get more out of you.

“Uh…for me, it’s about trust and friendship, too. You can’t base a true and loving relationship out of just attraction, that’s a poor foundation for anything real. You have to truly be friends, know each other inside and out, that’s what’s important.”

“But what if…” he said quietly, looking down again, “what if one of them isn’t…what if one of them can’t…” he struggled to get the words out.

Remus had loved you since he first laid eyes on you. You exuded warmth and safety, something he had longed for since before he could remember. You brought sunshine into his life where he had only known darkness, and he couldn’t stay away even if he tried. And he had definitely tried.

You waited patiently, sensing this question was of great importance to him. You just gently drew circles along the back of his hand with your thumb, lightly brushing the scars without flinching. He loved you even more for it.

“What if one person can’t give the other what they deserve?” He finally forced out, still avoiding your eyes.

“I guess that’s for the other person to decide,” you answered, nearly whispering now, “if they both love each other, what else matters?”

You hoped you were sensing the direction of this conversation correctly, that Remus was talking about himself. You had known about his “furry little problem” for years now, having figured it out once you noticed Remus going missing every full moon. Being attuned to everything he did made it easy. You also knew it was his greatest insecurity, the reason for his self-loathing. He despised being a werewolf with everything in him, and it caused him to push people away because of it. He had tried to push you away more times than you could count, but you stayed. You stayed for him.

Remus took a deep breath, thinking hard still. You still drew patterns on the back of his hand, trying to sooth the tornado going on in his mind. The reason Remus hadn’t asked you out, though he badly wanted to, was because he felt you deserved better. All he could offer was insecurity, fear, moodiness…the life of being with a werewolf. He loved you so much, but he didn’t want to drag you down with him. That fear, constantly digging at his mind, was hard to ignore.

That is, until now.

Remus nodded once, seemingly to himself, and looked up at you. Determination and warmth filled his eyes, looking deeply into your y/e/c ones.

“Go out with me this weekend,” he exclaimed quickly.

You gaped at him, not expecting this turn of events. Hoping for it, yes, but definitely not expecting it.

“Sorry, what?”

He smiled slightly, and let out a shaky laugh, trying again as he said, “Sorry, um…would you like to go out with me this weekend? Like as a, uh, date?”

A radiant smile broke out across your face as you answered, “Merlin, yes! Of course I would Rem!” You threw your arms around him, bringing him in closely for a tight hug. Delightfully surprised, he wrapped his arms snugly around you, reveling in your closeness.

Madame Pince had appeared in the sudden ruckus, loudly shushing you and Remus. Jumping back into your own seat, sufficiently chastised, you looked up at him to see him smiling as wide as you had ever seen.

“I take it you’re excited?” He teased.

“Well, yeah,” you murmured, trying to stay quiet lest you get shushed again, “I honestly thought you’d never ask.”

“Me neither,” he admitted, taking your hand in his, “but I’m so glad I did.”

Unable to stop smiling at each other, even as you walked hand in hand back to Gryffindor Tower, all you could think was _Let it always stay this way, please don’t let this moment end._

**_You set off a dream in me_ **

**_Getting louder now_ **

**_Can you hear it echoing?_ **

Wringing your hands, you continued to pace the same stretch of carpet you had been the entire night. The same one that you paced every night this time of month, the night of the full moon. Remus couldn’t see it, but you swore you could see a worn path in this spot from your incessant pacing.

You glanced at the clock for what felt like the millionth time, anxiously awaiting the time the sun was expected to start lightening the sky. It was nearing dawn now, and you felt your tight muscles relax more and more as that glorious hour crept closer. You used to adore the full moon, but that was before you knew what it did to the love of your life.

Remus had been your boyfriend going on 3 years now. That perfect day in the library, and the subsequent date in the snowy streets of Hogsmeade, seemed lifetimes ago. It was simpler, purer. Life felt like the opposite of simple lately.

You-Know-Who gained power with every passing week, more dark wizards and witches flocking to his side to complete his quest for complete control. The U.K. wizard community was in chaos; no one knew who they could trust, and no one felt safe fighting back. Many just sat back and let it happen.

You and Remus were not most people, and neither were your closest friends. You lot had joined up with the Order of the Phoenix soon after ending your time at Hogwarts and had been fighting Voldemort ever since. Things had become far more difficult lately, even more so than it already was.

The sky continued to lighten as you reflected on those thoughts, getting nearly lost in them. You nearly jumped out of your skin when the door slammed open and three figures staggered in, one being held up by the others. You rushed over to the couch, clearing off the remnants of your long night (a book, crumbs, etc.) and watched as James and Sirius gently helped Remus lay down.

“Merlin, he looks like it was a rough one…did anything happen?” You asked, taking in the various scratches and injuries on your boyfriend’s wan skin. You lifted his shirt to find a particularly nasty gash, most likely needing Essence of Dittany. Already having the bottle handy, you unstopped it and began dripping the medicine onto his abdomen.

“You mean besides turning into a werewolf?” Sirius said sarcastically, earning a jab in the ribs from James and a stern look from you.

“Yeah, besides that obviously,” you hissed, “he looks worse than usual.” That quieted Sirius down, he knew you were right.

It was James who responded eventually, saying, “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but he seemed so much…angrier, than usual. We were with him the whole time, but it didn’t help like it did before…well, you know.” You nodded gravely, turning back to Remus. He was unconscious, his now nearly healed stomach gently rising and falling with his breath.

“Did he do this to himself?”

“No, actually…I did,” James admitted. You turned back to find him looking down sheepishly at the floor, but you honestly weren’t angry. You knew he would never hurt Remus, not unless he absolutely had to. And if he was even angrier than usual…than he probably needed to.

“It’s okay, James, I don’t blame you,” you said softly, “will you please just tell me? I want to know what…who…I’m dealing with when he wakes up.” Now that you really took your two friends in, they looked almost as bad as Remus did. They had shallow scratches all over, hair mussed, dirt covering every inch of exposed skin.

“He just kept lunging at us, y/n,” Sirius whispered, “it was nothing like before, it was like he didn’t trust us. James used his antlers to try to knock him backward, but with his momentum plus Remus’, it just didn’t turn out as well as we’d hoped.”

You nodded, understanding flooding through you.

“That’s okay, boys,” you whispered, “you brought him home, and he’s safe. Go home, get some sleep, I’ve got him now.” They both nodded, taking one last look at their friend before walking back outside. A faint crack told you that they’d both apparated, and you focused your complete attention on the man in front of you.

“Godric, Remus…” you said to yourself, softly brushing back strands of his light hair. His face, always so serious and drawn, had become even more so since leaving school. Remus almost never smiled, not anymore, and that hurt your heart more than anything. His smile was so beautiful, despite what he thought about it.

After learning what had happened that night, you understood why he lashed out the way he did. Peter, who had been one of Remus’ closest friends and a part of the Marauders, had been revealed to be a spy inside the Order for You-Know-Who. He had been privy to so much vital information, and incredible witches and wizards had lost their lives because of that rat bastard. They had all been people you both loved, and the fact that it was one of your own who caused it was unbearable.

James, Sirius, and Remus had all been the most hurt by Peter’s betrayal. He was one of the few that they trusted most in the world. This was true especially for Remus, who found trust so difficult. Peter had been found out only a month ago, and this was the first time James and Sirius had been with Remus for his transformation since.

You sighed, tracing the newfound lines on Remus’ face. He had been so furious, so angry, but didn’t know how to express it. It made sense that the wolf did.

You were jerked out of your ruminations for the second time that early morning as Remus stirred, blearily opening his eyes to look at you. He blinked, clearly confused. He always had a rough time the next morning, but he usually at least knew where he was and how he got there.

“Y/n? What happened?” he croaked out.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” You asked, not wanting to hit him with this harsh information so soon after he woke up.

“Ugh…I feel like I’ve been run over by a hippogriff if we’re being honest,” he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut and running his hands over his face. He tried to sit up but winced in pain as he became aware of the still sore injury on his stomach. Looking down and noticing it for the first time, he looked back to you in shock and confusion.

“What happened?” He asked, voice harsher than it had been before.

You sighed, and answered, “You were more…violent, than usual. James was trying to push you back, but you lunged at the same time and well…” your voice died out, but you didn’t need to continue. Remus, having been in this situation before, closed his eyes seemingly in defeat. His body sagged back into the sofa.

You reached out and began to gently card your fingers through his hair, but he stiffened under your touch. Feeling a little stung, you sat back on your knees. You tried not to feel as hurt as you did, but you couldn’t help it. Years and years of him pushing you away, refusing to let you help him in moments like this, it was exhausting.

So, you did the best thing you could. You just sat with him, offering your silent support as he came to grips with what he had done. You knew it wasn’t his fault. James knew it too. Even Remus knew, in the logical side of his brain at least. But what society says about werewolves, what he had heard over the years…it was so hard for him to see himself as anything other than a monster.

After several moments of tense silence, he whispered, “You deserve so much better than me, y/n.”

Tears gathered in your eyes. It didn’t matter how many times Remus had said this over the years, it broke your heart each and every time.

“Remus, we’ve talked about this. I don’t care—”

“Well maybe you should!” He heatedly burst out, cutting you off. You flinched, not out of fear of what he might do, just out of surprise. He almost never lashed out, at least while he was himself. Unfortunately, he completely misinterpreted this.

“No, y/n…I would never…see, this is what I mean,” he whispered, “I’m a complete mess. I’m a monster in every sense of the word, and you’re the very best of all of us.”

“Darling, that’s not what I—” You tried to interject, reaching for him again. He didn’t seem to notice as he pulled himself to a sitting position and out of your reach.

“I even hurt my own friends, I could hurt you one day,” he said, completely tuning you out now, sucked into the familiar cycle of trying to convince himself he needed to leave. “It would just be better if I left now, ended this—”

“Remus, will you shut up and just _listen_ to me for a moment?!” You angrily cut him off. He turned those green eyes on you, wide in shock. You had always tried to approach him with softness, gently nudging him away from his worst impulses of isolation. But you were so tired of having this conversation.

“I love you! I love you more than anything or anyone in this world, don’t you get that?” Tears were falling hard and fast now. You swiped at them, trying to get them under control. “You keep acting like you’re the only one who had a say in this, the only one who gets to choose. Well I do too, and guess what? I choose you. I have chosen you over and over again, even as you push me away. I choose you now, I chose you then, and I will always, _always_ choose you.”

You had gotten up in your frustration, staring at him with your hands in fists at your sides. Chest heaving, tears still streaming down your face, you looked at him as he sat gaping at you.

“Y/n, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think—”

“That’s just it though, you _never_ think!” You interrupted, not ready to let him off the hook yet. You had been holding this in for so long, and it was flowing out of you before you could stop it. “You might be able to live without me, Remus, but I sure as hell can’t live without you. If you want to leave, do it. But don’t you _dare_ try to pass it off as you ‘doing what’s best for me’.”

You turned away from him now, unable to look at his shocked face any longer. How on earth could he be shocked, of all things? You had stayed, through all the years you had _stayed._ Why couldn’t he appreciate that?

You heard sounds of exertion, and you turned back around to see him struggling to get to his feet. He was failing dramatically, exhaustion and weakness still prevalent from the night before and from his injury.

“Remus, sit your ass down,” you quipped sharply.

“Can’t do that, y/n. I’m trying to get to you and I can’t do that if you’re over there and I’m over here so I don’t exactly have a choice.” You rolled your eyes and went back to his side, wrapping a steady arm around his waist to help him shakily sit back down on the sofa.

“Guess I’ll just sit here, then,” you said, albeit still a bit crossly, but you couldn’t help but want to be next to him. You were still upset, but the fact he was allowing you to be close to him again was something you couldn’t ignore.

He tenderly took your hands in one of his large ones and tilted your chin up to meet his eyes. They were soft, apologetic, and so full of love you almost couldn’t breathe. 

“I know I can be repetitive,” he began quietly, “I’m just so terrified I’m going to hurt you, that I’m going to drag you down with me…” he took a shaky breath, looking down for a moment before saying “I’m honestly terrified that you’ll resent me one day, that you’ll despise me for what I am and for what I can’t control.”

You tried to stop him, but he held up a hand and said, “Just…let me get this out, okay?” You nodded, and he continued, “I never say it often enough, but I love you so much. You’re the light of my life, one of the only sources of sunshine I’ve ever known. I hate that you could even _begin_ to think I could live without you; nothing could be further from the truth. I would suffocate without you, fall into my darkest self. But if leaving meant protecting you, I would do it.

“I love that you choose me. Do you know how that feels? After years and years of people passing me over because of what I am? Yet here you are, the most wonderful person in the world, and you choose to love _me._ ”

“How could I not, Remus? You’re my best friend, my soulmate, the one who knows me and loves me best in this world,” you whispered, nearly overcome with emotion. “You so much more than the wolf. You’re kind, loving, fiercely protective, incredibly witty, and you’re mine.”

With both of you unable to form words anymore, he pulled you into him and leaned back, laying you down together on the couch. You settled into his warmth, trying to avoid his injury. He held you as tightly as ever, tracing patterns on your arms with those loving hands of his. He pressed kiss after kiss to your temple, the crown of your head, and sometimes tilting your chin up to press one to your lips.

After a few moments of quiet affection, he whispered, “Do you think things will be better for us? In the world we’re fighting for?”

“Yes,” you said confidently, “It will be. I dream of it all the time, and you’re why.”

Remus leaned forward to capture your lips in a sweet kiss, pulling you back into his chest. You could feel his heartbeat under your head, and you felt his chest rumble as he mumbled, “I’ll be there for all of it, sweetheart. This better world we’re fighting for, I’ll be there.”

**_All the shine of a thousand spotlights_ **

**_All the stars we steal from the night sky_ **

**_Will never be enough, never be enough_ **

**_Towers of gold are still too little_ **

**_These hands could hold the world_ **

**_But it’ll never be enough, never be enough_ **

**_For me_ **

That better world you longed for? It was finally here, and you couldn’t be more thrilled.

Voldemort had finally been defeated. It took another two years, several sacrifices, and the loss of so many people you loved. But he had finally been vanquished; Dumbledore had discovered his secret about the Horcruxes, thanks to the bravery of Regulus Black, Sirius’ brother. He defected to the Order after making the discovery and brought the locket to Albus. After they had all been destroyed, and after the fiercest duel the world had ever seen, Voldemort had fallen, completely mortal.

The world rejoiced with peace finally befalling the wizarding community once again. None were happier than you and the rest of the Order, but particularly Remus. He had been lauded by the Ministry for his efforts during the war and had been leading the charge in enacting new laws that prevented anti-werewolf discrimination. He had been appointed special counsel to the new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, on the matter. Remus had a steady job, the admiration of his peers, and the acceptance of his community. He was, excuse the pun, over the moon.

Even so, nothing had made him happier than when you had accepted his proposal.

He had asked on a quiet night, only a few days after Voldemort had fallen. You were in the small sitting room of your cottage, just enjoying being together in the calm that came after the war. No missions, no threats, it was finally peaceful. It hadn’t been a huge deal, or even really planned. He just…asked you. Remus had pulled a small ring from the table by the couch, somehow keeping it hidden from you for weeks now.

“Y/n y/l/n, the love of my life, my soulmate, will you marry me?” The silver ring was beautiful, with a small moonstone sitting right in the center. You of course had cried a rivulet of tears in happiness and enthusiastically accepting his proposal, spending the next few hours celebrating in your shared bedroom.

After the excitement had died down, you asked why he had chosen a moonstone. He had answered calmly, “You had always accepted the part of me I hated the most, so much so that I think…I think I might be close to accepting it, too.” That explained everything you needed to know, and a few more hours of celebrating was in order.

That moment led directly to the one you were in now; being walked down the aisle by a beaming Sirius, unable to take your eyes off of the man at the altar in front of you. Your simple white dress swished around your ankles, and the garden your wedding was taking place in was in full bloom. The sweet smell of flowers surrounded you, and you felt euphoric.

As you finally made it to Remus, you could see that his eyes were shining with unshed tears. You imagined your eyes looked much the same. Sirius kissed your cheek as he prepared to give you away to his best friend. Before stepping away, he whispered, “Go on now, be happy.” You grinned at him before taking Remus’ outstretched hand. Grinning at each other, you turned to face Minerva McGonagall, who had joyously agreed to officiate your wedding.

She took the both of you in, smiling from ear to ear, before looking to the crowd and saying, “Thank you, you may be seated.”

You turned to face Remus, and through the happiness shining in his beautiful face, you couldn’t help but tune out what you were sure were eloquent and kind words from Minerva. He shone like the sun that day, outshining everything else around him. Joy like you’ve never known bloomed inside of you, and you thought you could never be happier.

“Now, we will hear written vows from both Remus and y/n. Remus, would you like to begin?”

“Yes, thank you, Minerva,” he said without taking his eyes from yours. “Y/n, I love you so much. When I first met you, we were only 11. I had known so much pain and darkness, and you were like a ray of sunshine as soon as I met you. You’ve been that for me ever since, crowding out the night with your incessant love, affection, and friendship. I hated myself so much, for so long, but until I was able to love myself, you loved me enough for the both of us. You healed my broken soul, and now I stand before you, completely whole. I still don’t know if I’ll ever be worthy of you, but I know I’ll spend the rest of my life trying. I choose you today, and I’ll choose you for the rest of my life.”

Hearing your words from all those years ago spoken back to you, you couldn’t help but begin to cry in earnest. It took every ounce of self-control to not throw your arms around him right this moment and kiss him like your life depended on it. You weren’t the only one with tears, now. You heard quiet sniffles from the crowd, and you even thought you saw Minerva swiping at her cheeks. You couldn’t help but let out a small giggle as you heard 2-year-old Harry start babbling in the background, and Lily aggressively shushing him, trying not to let him interrupt the moment. Even with a small toddler chattering away, nothing could ruin this moment.

“Remus, you’re my soulmate. It took time for me to figure that out, spending so many years as your best friend before I realized I wanted so much more than that. Once that moment came, I never went back. I’ve never been so sure of anything or anyone in my life, and I know with certainty that will never change. You make me the person I’ve always wanted to be. During this entire war, I was fighting for everyone in this garden, but what kept me going was fighting for this; for the life I knew we both deserved, the one waiting for us. Life feels so full of possibilities now, with opportunities for us all that never would have been possible if we had lost. But I know with everything in me that I wouldn’t want to experience any of it if you weren’t there to share it.”

All you and Remus could do was look at each other, at a loss for anything other than looks so full of love it would make the stars themselves weep. It was interrupted with a loud sniff from next to you, and both you and Remus looked to Minerva to see her practically sobbing. You couldn’t stop a snort of laughter from escaping your lips, and Remus lost control soon after.

“Oh shush, you two. Do you want me to continue the ceremony or not?” She snapped at you, but you could see a good-natured gleam in her sharp eyes.

“Sorry, Minnie. We’ll be good,” Remus quipped, looking back at you, eyes still full of mirth. It was so wonderful to see Remus like this, joking and laughing like he used to back in school. You weren’t sure you’d ever see that side of him again, and to find it standing before you now? It almost brought you to tears again.

“Now, with those beautiful and emotional vows out of the way, let’s get to it. Remus John Lupin, do you take y/n y/m/n y/l/n to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“Godric, yes.” The crowd laughed once again, with Sirius and James whooping in the background.

“Y/n y/m/n y/l/n, do you take Remus John Lupin to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Yes, a thousand times yes!” You practically squealed.

“Excellent. You may now kiss the bride.”

You and Remus threw yourselves into each other in a kiss that could shatter the sun. It exploded with all the passion you felt for each other and the years you spent fighting for this very moment. You could vaguely hear the crowd standing and cheering as you and Remus continued to kiss on that altar, but it didn’t really matter to you. All that mattered was him, now and always.

Even as you pulled apart, he kept close to you as he touched his forehead to yours.

“Thank you for staying,” you murmured.

“Thank you for loving me, wolf and all,” he answered, holding you close to him. “After all, you were right; this world would never be enough without you.”


End file.
